Custom Makers: Do you make culls?

straitshot

straitshot

Joined
Mar 18, 2006
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I'm sometimes too curious.
Often when I sit down to tie a couple of dozen flies of a new (for me) pattern or change sizes, the first two or three may be culls because of balance, proportion, or construction. I know one cannot do this with something as difficult as a blade, but does it happen? What most often results in a cull? Where do you reach the point of no return and don't start over? I hope these are fair questions and maybe it should be moved to Makers. Regards, ss.
 
OK, at the risk of appearing stupid, I'm going to ask "What are Culls"?

I assume form the rest of the dialog they may be defective blades to the point the maker can't salvage them?
 
A "cull" to me, is a billet, blade, handle, guard, or even a sheath that contains some type of imperfection/flaw, that I cannot repair. In the case of a "cull", I consider there to be only two options. 1. The flawed item becomes something else, in such a way that the flaw is eliminated. 2. The item is simply trashed/thrown out.
Over the years I have had MANY people tell me "If you have any "culls", I'll buy them." NOT HAPPENING! It takes far too long in this business to establish a decent reputation. Just as sure as you let one "cull" out the door, it is going to come back to haunt you. And yes, every Knifemaker/Bladesmith out there makes mistakes and has "culls", the difference is in what the individual does with them. Those who don't care might try to sell them anyway, possibly at a reduced price. Those who do care will never let one out of their shop. As I would expect from any reputable business/craftsman, only your best work is offered for sale. Any "culls" never see the light of day.
 
I sometimes use them as prototypes tested to destruction or near destruction. Some I keep for my own personal use around the house, camp, shop, etc. Using a knife shows me the weak points in a design and areas which I might improve. Some just get made into something else. I try not to throw anything out if I see the potential for a future use. Maybe even just shim stock or a gasket scraper!
Scott
 
Thanks ED. I try to learn one new thing about knives every day. Now I can take the rest of the day off. :D :D
 
I wholeheartedly agree with Ed Caffrey. The one observation I would add is that one's "best work" changes with time and experience. All this means is that many of the knives I made ten or twenty years ago would be culls by today's standards.

I have heard many makers say, "Gee, I wish I could buy that one back just to get it out of public view!" As I see it, a guy would have to buy back everything he ever made up until yesterday, since our skill and craft continue to evolve with each new piece we make.

I know that I have become a much tougher judge of what is acceptable and what is not in my own work, but part of that judgement is based on the knowledge that I am capable of fixing whatever it is that I perceive as a flaw. That was not always the case.

Bottom line for me is that I know I have a field population of knives, some of which are pretty rough work. They were the best I could do at the time (and folks liked them enough to want to own them), and I am not ashamed of that.
 
Well said, ED and Don. If we put culls out, our reputations would evaporate. And in this business, it is all about reputation.

Gene
 
Cull=Rejects incase someone isn't sure what a cull is, just like culling the egg layers that don't produce eggs.

It is inevitable to accumulate a pile of rejects as one works developing new patterns, or when a grind goes really wrong. Most of them I use in other ways. Often I will use them as scrapers, and recently for applying tar to the chimney area of the roof. Sometimes they are used as screwdrivers/prybars.
 
Cull as a noun means; something rejected as being inferior or worthless.

I happen to know firsthand that makers will sometimes have a few culls on one project. I have seen these blades used for destructive testing, but have never seen a maker use one on a finished knife.
 
Yes, I make them, but dont let them leave the shop for the same reasons mentioned above. Lin
 
Thank you all for such candid replies. I see a few parallels to my example. My early attempts would now be nearly all culls, but they caught trout so I kept going. Now, the marginal ones may be in my fly box, but I wont give them to friends. I expect them to be used and become trashed but strangely, the fish don't seem to notice when the fly becomes a little ragged so it's a matter of choice and pride. I really enjoy seeing someone use mine with success.
Also, by assembling a few knives from quality blanks, I've found the devil is in the details, as they say, just as it is in flytying. A minute flaw looks huge to the one doing the work.
My hat's off to those who make knives that others get to inspect for comment or purchase and have very high expectations.
 
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